Festive Lighthouses Shine at Maritime Aquarium

12th annual competition illuminates for holidays

“We have a incredible variety of lighthouses that are pretty fascinating to see every year. You think you’ve seen it before but then somebody comes up with something like a Twinkie lighthouse,” said Judith Bacal, Exhibit Director at the Maritime Aquarium.

Cake, graham crackers, wood, and plastic are just some of the materials artists used for the 12th Annual Festival of Lighthouses at the Maritime Aquarium.

Bacal added, “Essentially it’s a locally participated art show in some ways. You get people from little kids to schools. All different ages from all different walks of life.”

Dave Sigworth, Publicist at the Maritime Aquarium said, “The tradition of lighthouses around Christmas time, a lot of people decorated the lighthouses out in harbors and so we decorate the Aquarium with lighthouses.”

This year 22 entries lend holiday cheer to the Aquarium, ranging from literal lighthouse to out of the box creations.

Bacal noted, “It covers a lot of bases in terms of appealing to different kinds of people, but I think there is a nice symbolism that goes with the lighthouse being the beacon of hope and this is where you know where you are. It’s a good stabilizer.

Visitors can vote for their favorite lighthouse until January 20th.

Sigworth said, “Everyone gets a ballot and you go throughout the Aquarium and see all the exhibits and the lighthouses and as you sort of pop back out of the Aquarium galleries, there’s a big poster there that reminds you of all the 22 lighthouses and a ballot box and we ask you to vote for your favorite.”

The lighthouse with the most votes will win the $1,500 first-place prize. There are other monetary prizes for second- through sixth-places.